Council Previews & Reviews >> Reviews > June 28, 1999

Council Review
Hartford City Council Meeting

Monday, June 28, 1999

Prepared by: Citizens’ Research Education Network, Hartford Public Library, and Hartford 2000

There were 56 items on the regular agenda: nine more were added on the supplemental agenda. Councilman O'Connell was absent. The next Council meeting will be July 12; the next public hearing will be July 17.

Automobile Insurance Legal Action -- The Council passed a resolution directing the Corporation Counsel to bring "legal action on behalf of the City of Hartford to challenge and overturn current automobile insurance pricing systems.” The Council directed the Corporation Counsel to begin researching automobile insurance rates at its February 8 meeting.

Civic Center Mall -- The Council passed a resolution approving the memorandum of understanding between the city and Northland Two Pillars, LLC to redevelop the Civic Center Mall.

Living Wage Ordinance -- The Council withdrew the living wage ordinance which had been to public hearing and replaced it with new living wage ordinance. The new ordinance, which fine tunes some of the language of the old, was referred to public hearing July 19, to the Operations, Budget, Education, and Labor Committee and to the Health and Human Services Committee. If passed the ordinance would require anyone contracting with the city pay their employees a "living wage."

Demolition/Mothballing Funds -- The Council sent to public hearing on July 19 an ordinance appropriating $5,553,600 for demolition and mothballing of vacant and blighted buildings. The funds represent a portion of the $12 million available to the city by the State Bond Commission. The Capital City Economic Development Authority (CCEDA) approved the city’s request for the $5.5 million at its June 16 meeting. The remainder of the $12 million will be used for rehabilitation of residential buildings throughout the neighborhoods.

Urban Act Funds for Veeder Place -- The Council passed a resolution accepting $5,664,800 in Urban Act Funds from the State Bond Commission for renovation of Veeder Place and the Tri-Neighborhood Initiative. The funds will be used to complete the renovation of Veeder Place.

Urban Act Bond Funds -- The Council sent to public hearing July 19 an ordinance which will appropriate $4 million for revitalization initiatives proposed by the Neighborhood Revitalization Zones. The $4 million is the first installment of $12.2 million in Urban Act II funds which will be made available in three installments.

Goodwin Estate -- The Council passed on consent a resolution creating a task force to study options for marketing the Goodwin estate property and make recommendations for how the city can best dispose of the 17. 5 acre property. Fifteen hundred dollars will be allocated to the task force.

Director of Housing and Community Development -- The Council also passed a resolution introduced by the City Manger to enter into a contract with the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities to conduct a search for a Director of Housing and Community Development. The position has been open since September of 1998 but, according to the letter attached to the resolution, there has been an insufficient number of applicants.

Affirmative Action Plan -- The Council sent to public hearing July 19 and to the Health and Human Services Committee, a resolution establishing a new Affirmative Action Plan for the city. The plan sets hiring goals and enforcement policies for city departments for "minority" males and females and white females. The plan is intended to remedy past discrimination employment patterns. The city's last plan was passed February 1995.

People of Color -- The Council referred to the Health and Human Services Committee a resolution which will change the language of city documents. The resolution would remove the term "minority" from city documents and replace it with "People of Color." According to the resolution, "minority" implies inferiority and majority implies superiority. The resolution also points out that the governor now uses the term People of Color.

Summer School Initiative -- The Council voted to appropriate $150,000 for a city-wide summer school initiative. Under the initiative not-for-profit groups will provide after-school programs for Hartford youth. Most of the $3 million required for the program are coming from the private sector.

Tax Increment Financing -- The Council passed City Manager Kee Borges' recommendation of policy and guidelines for tax increment financing (TIF). TIF is a mechanism by which governments encourage development with tax incentives. The TIF policy will be implemented by the new Hartford Economic Development Commission.

If you have any questions about the agenda, call the Council at 522‑4888 or Greg Vickers at CREN, 249‑1416.  The Citizens' Research Education Network is a non‑profit information center for Hartford community‑based organizations.

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